Author: Melissa Lynne

Day 113 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 1:1–2:9; Luke 21:29–22:13; Psalm 90:1–91:16; Proverbs 13:24-25

Teach Me to Number My Days
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

Judges
In our daily Bible reading today, we started reading the book of Judges. As we ended the book of Joshua, Joshua had died. The children of Israel, under his leadership, crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. They settled though they hadn’t taken all the lands promised to them. As we finished the book, Joshua had died. The book of Judges tells us what happened next.

No one man was their leader, and the tribes of the children of Israel began to rebel against God. They began to do whatever seemed right in their own eyes. The book of Judges is the recordings of the period following the death of Joshua and the rebellion and abandonment of God by the Israelites. We will see that they suffered the repercussions of their decisions, just as Moses and Joshua had warned. We will see how they cried out to God in their agony and desperation in repentance. We will see how God answered their prayers by sending leaders (judges) to rescue them. We will read about these judges and the changes the tribes went through. Many changes are recorded because this book covers centuries. It covers the time after Joshua’s death and when Israel was granted its first king.

The accounts in Judges are of some hard times and are relatable to our lives and the issues and decisions we face still today. The children of Israel made wrong decisions and created many problems because of their rebellion, just as we still do today. This book gives us a clear picture of where rebellion leads and its consequences.

The People Lifted Up Their Voice, and Wept
And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. – Judges 2:1-7

All Will Be Fulfilled
And he [Jesus] spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. – Luke 21:29-33

Watch Ye Therefore
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. – Luke 21:36

He That Spareth His Rod
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. – Proverbs 13:24

Day 112 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 24:1-33; Luke 21:1-28; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 13:20-23

Land For Which Ye Did Not Labour
And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:13-15

Ye Are Witnesses Against Yourselves
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. – Joshua 24:22-24

Today we have not only reached the end of the book of Joshua, but in the last verses, we see that Joshua died at the age of 110. He lived his life as a good and faithful servant. Joshua, like Moses, reminded the children of Israel who they were, where God brought them from, and where they were going. Before he died, he commanded the leaders to serve the Lord and reject other gods. The people spoke and affirmed their allegiance to God. Joshua says to them,“Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve Him.”

In other words, you are the witnesses to your decision. No one else needed to judge them. Their lives would tell the truth about whether they served the Lord or didn’t. They had agreed that their faithfulness’s verdict would be their own lives.

Isn’t this true of our own lives today? The way we walk through our lives shows what is in our hearts. We can make people think that we are one way or another, but what is in the heart comes out through our actions or words and becomes a witness either for or against us. A witness to what we believe and know of God. It is my prayer that I can say by my life, The Lord my God will I serve, and His voice will I obey.

Look Up
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. – Luke 21:28

We Live and We Die
Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. – Psalm 89:47-48

If You Want Wisdom
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. – Proverbs 13:20

If you want wisdom, walk with wise men!

Day 111 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 22:21–23:16; Luke 20:27-47; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 13:17-19

The Blessings of the People that Know the Joyful Sound
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. – Psalm 89:15-18

The Risk of Making Assumptions
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: but that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. – Joshua 22:26-29

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. – Joshua 22:31

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. – Joshua 22:34

In March, we read in Numbers 32 that the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh asked Moses for the land on the eastern side of the Jordan River. That piece of land was not the Promised Land but the land right before the Promised Land. They saw that it suited their lifestyle, and Moses allowed them to have it, but with the condition that they go with the other tribes and fight alongside the other tribes, they also might have their land. The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh agreed.

In our reading in Joshua today, the men of these 2 ½ tribes had fulfilled the obligations as Moses commanded and went back across the Jordan to establish their own homes. The leaders of Israel heard that those tribes had built an altar on the Eastern side of the Jordan River. Only one altar was to be made by the Children of Israel to worship God. So that reporting assumed the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were breaking their covenant with God and with them, and assuming this breach, they gathered to destroy them for it. But before battle, they sent envoys to verify the reports. They found that the truth was those tribes hadn’t built an altar to God but had built an altar that future generations from both sides of the Jordan would remember that though they settled east of the Jordan, they were entitled to worship the same LORD as their brothers and sisters on the western side. So rather than an altar of worship built with a rebellious spirit, it was a memorial and reminder that both sides would never forget that the Jordan River was not a barrier between the Children of Israel but that they were all still one family.

Wouldn’t it have been sad if the Western tribes had not verified what was going on before they went into battle? How often do we jump to conclusions and assign motives? Assumptions and the rumors we spread when making them are dangerous and can destroy relationships. Had the Western tribes jumped into battle based on assumptions, it would have resulted in a civil war for no reason. When we act on rumors, the same things happen, whereas when we stop for a minute to find out the truth, we often find we have created an issue in our minds that wasn’t reality.

What a lesson for today!!! Seek the truth. Reject assumptions. Know the joyful sound. 

A Little Glimpse of Heaven
Then came to him [Jesus] certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. – Luke 20:27-28

The Costs of Refusing Instruction
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. – Proverbs 13:18

Day 110 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 21:1–22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 13:15-16

I Will Sing of His Mercies Forever
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. – Psalm 89:1

Our Sin Affects the Entire Congregation
Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. – Joshua 22:19-20

The congregation of Israel stood against (what they believed was) sin among their people and reminded them of how Achan sinned against the Lord, and God’s wrath came against them all. Truly, if they sinned or we sin, it does not just affect us and us alone, but it hurts the entire congregation (Body of Christ).

They Marveled at His Words
And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. – Luke 20:26

One who displays hatred toward you doesn’t necessarily disagree with you. These marveled at the Words of Jesus and held their peace in front of the people. No, they marveled, but they didn’t like what Jesus’ Words meant about their own lives. 

Aren’t we like that sometimes? We know the conviction of God, and we marvel at knowing His truth exposes our hearts and is for our good. But we hate how we might have to change our lives and our standing to follow Jesus and His perfect Truth. 

Seek God’s Knowledge
Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. – Proverbs 13:16

God gives you guidance and wisdom. Act on it by seeking Him and heeding to His Word. Listen to His wisdom and accumulate His knowledge, and your attitudes and your actions will show it. Act foolishly, and your folly will be shown as well.

Day 109 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Joshua 19:1–20:9; Luke 19:28-48; Psalm 88:1-18; Proverbs 13:12-14

Help Me Fear and Obey Your Word
Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. – Proverbs 13:13

Let My Prayer Come Before Thee
O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. – Psalm 88:1-3

His House is The House of Prayer
And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. – Luke 19:45-46

Heavenly Father, Let my prayer come before You today. Incline Thine ear unto my cry. Take me into deeper places in You and Your Word, even as our pastor spoke yesterday. Father, if I have not because I ask not, then I humbly stand before You and ask. Will You take me deeper, God? Will You help me line my life up to look like Your Son? Will You help me walk this earthly journey in fear and obedience to Your Word? Please help me to remember my greatest reward is received when I do Your perfect will, as You have commanded, for Your pleasure? Will You make my heart Your House of Prayer? Thank You that You have made this possible through my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and that You have empowered me with a wonderful helper and counselor in Your Holy Ghost. I praise You and glorify Your Name and I love you JESUS! Amen! Amen!

Be Careful with Whom You Unite and Assemble
Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them. – Joshua 19:9

As their father, Jacob, spoke and we read in the book of Genesis, Simeon would not get an independent inheritance but rather would inherit scattered lands. Those scattered lands were within Judah’s allotment.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; Unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self will. They digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel. – Genesis 49:5-7

These words come to me as a warning. Be careful with whom you unite and assemble. Be careful not to come into the secrets others that are cruel, filled with anger and selfwill. If you do come into their secrets, you will also come into their curse. 

Please help me to heed Your warning, Father.

Day 108 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 16:1–18:28; Luke 19:1-27; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 13:11

Occupy Till I Come
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.. – Luke 19:12-13

“Occupy till I come.” Isn’t that the same thing God says to us? Take hold of the place, assignment, visions, or gift. Whatever it is He’s put in your custody, take hold of it with the view that He will come back and also asks you what you did with what He gave.

How Long Will You Be Slack?
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you? – Joshua 18:3

How long will you sit there in complacency and fear? How long will you wait on the Lord to do what He has clearly told you to do? Stop being slack and get up and go occupy what God has given to you!!!

His Foundation and All His Springs Are in You!
His foundation is in the holy mountains. – Psalm 87:1

All my springs are in thee. – Psalm 87:7b

The Lord loves His people and His chosen dwelling place. He loves Jerusalem. However, we must remember that He now makes His dwelling place in the hearts of His believers. God is with man and also in man, and His foundations are built in our hearts. So, we must walk as the chosen people of God, holy and blameless before Him. We should do everything He asks of us. We should genuinely “occupy” the places and duties He has given. We should find our satisfaction and joy in Him and His love and walk in truth for His glory. All His springs are in YOU!!! ALL MEANS ALL. Hallelujah!!!

Hard Work Pays
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. – Proverbs 13:11

Hard work done as unto the Lord pays incredibly and eternally!!!

Day 107 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 15:1-63; Luke 18:18-43; Psalm 86:1-17; Proverbs 13:9-10

Teach Me Thy Way
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. – Psalm 86:11-13

O Lord, I come before You today and ask You, my heavenly Father, to teach me Thy Way. I ask You to unite my heart to fear Thy Name. I praise You, and I glorify (and will continue to glorify) Thy Name. Thank You for Your mercy and deliverance that today I can walk in Your Truth and Yours alone. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Caleb Drove Thence
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs. – Joshua 15:13-19

Drove – to send, expel, or otherwise cause to move by force of compulsion
Thence – from that place

This year is the seventeenth year I am reading through the One Year Bible, and yet it was only two years ago that I actually “heard” this story. Caleb was given his part of the Promised Land as God had commanded. What struck me was that though Caleb was given what he had been promised, he still had to drive out the inhabitants to conquer the land. Caleb promised his daughter as a wife to whoever conquered Kirjath-sepher. His brother’s son took the land for Caleb and was given Achsah, Caleb’s daughter. How often do we doubt that the promises of God in our lives because they haven’t just “fallen” on us? Have you ever considered that the promise will come when you fight for it? When you get up and drive out, what stands in the way of your promise? What an encouragement the Word of God is. Right there in the middle of list after list of towns and villages.

Cry Out, Ask, Receive
And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. – Luke 18:35-43

There was a blind man that heard Jesus was passing by, and he cried out for mercy. Those around him got mad and told him to be quiet. He cried out louder. Jesus heard him and called him over and asked, what do you want me to do? The man asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus healed him, and the Bible tells us here the man received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people (all means all) saw what happened and praised God with him (even the ones that told him to be quiet).

The blind man wanted to be healed. Jesus was there to heal, but there were things the blind beggar had to do in this story. He had to cry out to Jesus for mercy. He had to cry out even though those around him told him to hold his peace. He had to tell his need to Jesus. He had to receive his healing. How often do we miss our blessing because we didn’t cry out, ask, or receive?

Light Rejoices
The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. – Proverbs 13:9

Day 106 One-Year Bible Reading – Joshua 13:1–14:15; Luke 18:1-17; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 13:7-8

Wilt Thou Revive Us Again?
Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. – Psalm 85:6-9

Rewards of Wholly Following God
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. – Joshua 14:6-14

Caleb wholly followed the Lord God of Israel and gave a good, encouraging report of the land he spied out. It was the Promised Land. Because of his obedience, God promised that he would live to receive an inheritance of the land where he walked faithfully. The inheritance he asked for was one of his rewards and his promise from God, but there were other rewards as well. The Bible says in this passage that though he was an older man, his strength was the same as in his younger years. Obedience and faithfulness to wholly follow the Lord still bring great rewards.

Words of Jesus – Pray Always and Do Not Faint
men ought always to pray, and not to faint – Luke 18:1b

Words of Jesus – Will Jesus Find You Faithful?
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:7-8

Words of Jesus – Humble Yourself and You Will Be Exalted
for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. – Luke 18 14b

Words of Jesus – Become as a Child
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. – Luke 18:17

Stop Pretending. You Cannot Pay the Price!
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. – Proverbs 13:7-8

If you make yourself look rich, you set yourself up for the enemy to destroy and demand a ransom of you. Those that only made themselves look rich can’t pay the ransom. It would have been better to present yourself as poor (though rich), so there would be no expectation of ransom.

Day 105 One-Year Daily Bible – Joshua 11:1–12:24; Luke 17:11-37; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 13:5-6

I really like the verbs the Lord has placed in these passages today!

Verb – a word that typically expresses action, state, or a relation between two things.

My soul longeth. My soul fainteth. My heart and flesh crieth. Blessed is the man that trusteth. The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation. A righteous man hateth lying. A wicked man cometh to shame. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way.  Wickedness overthroweth the sinner. Tomorrow will I deliver. Joshua took the whole land. Joshua gave it for an inheritance. The land rested from war.

Longeth, Fainteth, Crieth, Trusteth
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. – Psalm 84:2

For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. – Psalm 84:10-12

Cometh (not with observation)
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. – Luke 17:20-21

And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. – Luke 17:37

Hateth, Keepeth, Overthroweth
A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. – Proverbs 13:5-6

Deliver
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. – Joshua 11:6

Took, Gave, Rested
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. – Joshua 11:23

Day 104 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 9:3–10:43; Luke 16:19–17:10; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4

Be Diligent
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. – Proverbs 13:4

Everyone has desires but not everyone is diligent. The difference is that some have diligence to get up and get things done and others are lazy so they end up having nothing.

Fill me with Your diligence today, Father that I may see my desires, but even more-so Your desires come forth. I ask this in Jesus Name. Amen!!!

Diligent – Characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort.

Fear Not! The Lord Will Fight Your Battle!
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. – Joshua 10:8

And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. – Joshua 10:42

I love how God directed Joshua in the past tense though the battle hadn’t happened at that point. It reminds me that He is already in my tomorrow and knows much more about fighting than I do, and so there truly is no need to fear. He will fight my battles as they come if I do my part. My part – Fear Not!

This year I am reading my daily Bible reading aloud, and as you know, if you follow this blog, I write down what speaks to me from each passage. It is amazing how much I am learning as I hear the stories move one into another. It has brought so much clarity. It is also horrifying how much I have missed over all these years. Today I am incredibly thankful for God’s Word and His direction to change it up a bit that the passages each day would come to me, fresh and new. It fills my heart with wonder.

Do What is Your Duty To Do
But which of you, having a servant ploughing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. – Luke 17:7-10

We all have calls and duties. God has assigned us to specific ministries, and we shouldn’t need to be verbally thanked by God or man each time we do something; if I feel that need, I probably should look carefully at my need for approval and recognition. God sees and knows, and that is all that matters. What is my duty? Today, it is to read His Word, meditate on His Word, pray, and I will do various other responsibilities I committed to doing within the church. They are my duty because I committed…much as Joshua committed to the men from the “far away land” that He would come into an alliance with them. They deceived him, but a commitment is a commitment. A vow is a vow. So it is with my commitments. 

That they May Seek They Name
Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. – Psalm 81:1-3

O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. – Psalm 81:13-16

Some would say ease of life is a great blessing and it is but the greatest of blessings could be the sickness, the persecution, the hardships that you go through but that leave you calling on the name of the Lord. Taking your hands off of your life and surrendering, turning your life over to the one true and living God – that is the greatest blessing any of us could ever receive on this earth because it is a blessing that will last for an eternity.